History of Albany, New York (1860–1900)
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The history of Albany, New York from 1860 to 1900 begins in 1860, prior to the start of the Civil War, and ends in 1900.
While the key to Albany's economic prosperity in the 19th century was transportation, industry and business also played a role. Largely thanks to the city's Dutch and German roots, beer was one of its biggest commodities. Beverwyck Brewery, originally known as Quinn and Nolan (Nolan being mayor of Albany 1878–1883),[2] was the last remaining brewer from that time when it closed in 1972. The city's location at the east end of the Erie Canal gave it unparalleled access to both raw products and a captive customer base in the west.[3] Albany was known for its publishing houses, and to some extent, still is. Albany was second only to Boston in the number of books produced for most of the 19th century.[4] Iron foundries in both the north and south ends of the city brought thousands of immigrants to the city. To this day, one can see many intricate wrought-iron details on older buildings. The iron industry waned by the 1890s, falling victim to the costs associated with a newly unionized workforce and the opening of mines in the Mesabi Range in Minnesota.[5]
Albany's other major exports during the 18th and 19th centuries were furs, wheat, meat and lumber;[6] by 1865, there were almost 4,000 saw mills in the Albany area[6] and the Albany Lumber District was the largest lumber market in the nation.[1] The city was also home to a number of banks. The Bank of Albany (1792–1861) was the second chartered bank in New York.[7] The city was the original home of the Albank (founded in 1820 as the Albany Savings Bank),[8] KeyBank (founded in 1825 as the Commercial Bank of Albany),[9] and Norstar Bank (founded as the State Bank of Albany in 1803).[10] American Express was founded in Albany in 1850 as an express mail business.[11] In 1871, the northwestern portion of Albany—west from Magazine Street—was annexed to the neighboring town of Guilderland[12] after the town of Watervliet refused annexation of said territory.[13][14] In return for this loss, portions of Bethlehem and Watervliet were added to Albany. Part of the land annexed to Guilderland was ceded back to Albany in 1910, setting up the current western border.[15]